Worth Waiting For
by rckyfrk
Summary: Daryl is reunited with Beth and finds he can't be without her. Soon all his thoughts are consumed by her, including those that wonder what it would be like to be with her.


**Originally posted November 2014, but got lost somehow. Anyway, enjoy!**

They were inseparable since he'd gotten her back. He'd traveled through hell and high water to find her, and now that she was back, he wasn't about to let her out of his sight. Daryl once again felt that calm that only Beth could give him so easily, and knew he couldn't bear to lose it again. He kept her by his side at all times.

Maggie had gone with Glenn, keeping his promise to Abraham to help on the way to Washington, D.C., and while Beth had her family from the prison there with her, she had no real family of her own. The thought troubled Daryl; she deserved a family to love her and support her, who would stop at nothing to help her no matter the cost.

Daryl had already claimed her as his family in his mind, though his intentions were still kept secret from her and the rest of the group. As far as he was concerned, she was his, forever; this was it. He couldn't put a name to the feelings he had for her, having never felt anything like them before, but she made him happy, and he would do everything in his power to make her happy, to keep her safe, to never let her want for anything.

As part of his protection, he kept her close, bringing her with him while he went out to hunt, continuing to teach her how to track, to fire his crossbow, to prepare their catch for cooking. They sat next to each other at meal times; Daryl would shoot frosty looks at anyone who even looked like they were about to suggest otherwise. While Beth balked at his insistence to accompany her even when she needed to use the bathroom or wash up, she soon realized exactly what he was doing and relented, taking comfort in the fact that he couldn't be without her, not even for a minute.

They slept together every night, though not in the biblical sense. Daryl found he couldn't even find any semblance of sleep unless she was right there by his side, curled into him somehow. He didn't care if she was facing him or not while she slept; he just needed her there, needed to know she was safe in his arms, so he could snatch even the briefest of catnaps. When it was his turn to keep watch, he would do so from wherever she rested her head.

After several days of walking together with the group, he felt her hand close around his. He looked down at her, almost surprised by the contact, but she never met his gaze, instead keeping her eyes on the trail in front of them. He let his thumb absently trace over hers as they walked; that simple motion served as an aid to remind them both that they were once again together, never to be apart again as long as there was breath in Daryl's lungs. The more accustomed he became to her holding his hand, the more he yearned for it. He would never forget the smile she gave him when he finally reached for her hand instead of vice versa, interlacing their fingers together as they walked. This new gesture became commonplace, even expected, whenever they weren't using both of their hands.

There were many moments when Daryl would find himself staring at her, memorizing her beautiful face, every tiny detail, especially her new scars that made her look so fierce. While he hated the pain she must have gone through when she was away from him, he appreciated her strength in surviving, and eventually began to love her scars as he realized they made her more like him. He could never prove if she was doing it on purpose, but sometimes when he'd be staring at her like some lovesick teenager, she would softly sigh and slowly lick her lips, chewing on them in such a way that Daryl couldn't ever tear his eyes off her. He often speculated what she was thinking about, if she knew how much she meant to him, if she was only tolerating him because she was too damned sweet to tell him to get lost. He found himself wondering what her lips would feel like against his, what her tongue would taste like, what her breath would sound like in his ear with her soft body underneath his.

And as quickly as the thoughts would come to him, he would shake them away. He couldn't go down that road. He couldn't let himself hope to get that close to her, to mean that much to her. No, he would be happy with what he had; just her being next to him was enough. At least that's what he tried to convince himself. As far as he knew, this was all he deserved, and he'd be happy with that.

One night, Rick decided it was time for Carl to start sitting up and taking a turn in the watch rotation and volunteered for the two of them to take the first shift. Even though he was skeptical, Daryl accepted Rick's decision and lay down next to Beth. He stretched out his arm, providing Beth what little comfort he could. She fell asleep quickly, her ear pressed to his bicep, her arms crossed over her chest between them. He looked at her sweet face, so peaceful in sleep. Her lips parted slightly, her warm breath dancing across his arm and neck and chest.

The urge to kiss her hit him full force, but he fought it back down stubbornly. Instead he reached out and tenderly tucked the hair that had fallen across her face to its place behind her ear. His thumb moved of its own volition, stroking her cheek over her newly healed scar. He was leaning into her, inhaling her scent, but still not allowing him any more contact than the little touches he was stealing now.

Beth started to move next to him in her sleep, stretching her body against his. Without warning, her arm came up and around him, unconsciously pulling herself closer to his body. He heard her whisper his name just before she lifted her chin, her lips instinctively seeking his.

Daryl's eyes widened in surprise; his eyebrows almost reached his hairline. She moved her mouth against his, a delicate sigh escaping her lips. Once the shock started to wear off, he let his eyes drift shut as he began to match her movements; her tongue traced his bottom lip and he opened to her without a second thought.

As quickly as it had begun, the kiss was over. Beth pulled back; her eyelids flittered open and she briefly looked up at him; her eyes remained unfocused before they closed again and she nestled herself back onto his arm. Her soft breathing resumed its gentle cadence against his skin.

Daryl couldn't move, he couldn't think, he could barely breathe. His faculties finally returned to him as reality hit him like a Mack truck. Beth Greene had just kissed him. He realized then and there this was her subconscious acting out some hidden desire. His ears recalled how wonderful his name sounded in her voice. His lips still tingled from the fleeting contact. Her kiss, short-lived as it was, had rocked him to his very core.

His heart sank as easily as it had risen. She wouldn't remember any of it, surely. Still, it had happened, and he would remember it for as long as he lived. He would never mention it to her, wouldn't want to embarrass her or let her think that he'd be expecting more from her. He would wait for her to come to this conclusion on her own during waking hours. He couldn't bring himself to try to make the first move, even with this silent vote of confidence from her.

Daryl lay on his back, his thoughts a blur in his mind. Sleep would be very unlikely tonight. He relived the moment in his mind and found he couldn't wait to kiss her again.

He would wait, as long as he needed to. She was worth waiting for.

**Thanks for reading - please leave a review!**


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